After finishing his classes with the first-year students, Fawley's tasks for the week were mostly completed. The second and third-year students initially expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of punishment for the first-year newcomers, but once they learned that the newcomers had only learned how to emit light with their wands, their discontent disappeared. In fact, a special camaraderie formed, with the older students openly mocking the newcomers.
Gryffindor common room.
"Fred, show Ron what real combat looks like!" George said seriously.
Fred made an OK gesture and then pulled out his wand in the common room.
"Stun!"
A red beam shot out, hitting George accurately, but the light dispersed, and George showed no signs of being stunned. He even grinned.
"Fred," he frowned in dissatisfaction, "didn't you say you learned some powerful magic from Professor Fawley? Hurry up and give me a proper beating!"
Fred innocently shrugged. "The professor only taught me this."
Ron didn't know what to say in response to the teasing and could only look at the mischievous twins with resignation.
Harry, on the other hand, found it all amusing, laughing foolishly without realizing they were mocking him.
"Oh, come on, you've been playing this trick all day, pretending to be hit one moment and then pretending nothing happened the next," Hermione snapped, closing her textbook impatiently. "Didn't the professor assign you homework? Get on with it!"
George and Fred exchanged glances, then turned back, grinning widely.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but we've already completed the professor's essay. Now we're just waiting to hand it in and claim that reward!"
"But the reward is mine, George, so you might as well give up on that idea."
"Nonsense! I spent ten minutes longer on mine, so my essay must be ten times better than yours!"
"Heh, my essay is one inch longer than yours, Professor Fawley will surely know that I've written something more detailed than yours!" The two of them argued unabashedly, earning eye rolls from the older students.
Professor Fawley's reward had already become the hottest topic in the castle, and everyone was curious about what it could be.
"I think it's private mentoring sessions with the professor," speculated a dreamy-eyed senior witch.
Of course, this was just wishful thinking on the witches' part. Currently, the most plausible theory was that it could be a magical item or a special spell. But whatever it was, it was out of their reach, as only third-year students had been promised the reward.
Hermione shook her head in resignation. She had also looked forward to the reward, thinking she could compete for it after completing her homework, only to find out it had nothing to do with first-years.
Glancing at the time, with only an hour left until curfew, she hastily packed her textbooks and rushed out.
"Where are you going?" Ron asked, confused.
"To practice!"
The next moment, Hermione's figure and voice disappeared simultaneously from the common room.
"What's the point of practicing that thing? No matter how skilled she gets, she won't be able to turn a light into magic," Ron muttered quietly.
However, with the popularity of combat training, it wasn't easy to find a practice room on weekends.
Hermione checked several classrooms in succession, but they were all crowded with young wizards practicing combat.
Just as she was getting a bit out of breath from her search, a voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
"What are you looking for?"
Fawley stood in the corridor outside his office, watching the witch who was looking around curiously.
The torchlight flickered on his face in the night, casting a somewhat eerie glow on his fair complexion, and Hermione was startled by his sudden appearance.
Fawley waved to catch her dropped backpack, which surprisingly felt heavy, not at all like the belongings of a first-year student, but more like those of a fifth-year student preparing for their O.W.L. exams.
"Profes...sor, I didn't notice you were here," Hermione said, flustered, as she glanced around the corridor and realized she had wandered to the offices of the two professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"No need to be nervous; curfew hasn't started yet," Fawley said, opening the office door. "But it's rare for first-years to be wandering the castle at this hour. Would you mind coming in and chatting with me?"
He held her backpack as if it were a hostage, leaving Hermione unable to refuse, nor did she want to refuse. Getting personal guidance from a professor was much better than practicing alone, she comforted herself.
Stepping into the office, she realized it was her first time entering a professor's office. The candlelight flickered as Fawley moved around, illuminating the office's layout.
Books. There were so many books here. There were two large bookshelves by the door, three more behind the desk, all packed full. Even the desk had a pile of books on it. Besides that, there were only a few items covered in black cloth, occupying a corner. This strengthened her belief in the correctness of her reading plan. If I can read all these books, I can surely become as skilled as the professor!
"Have a seat. Tea? Or pumpkin juice?" Fawley asked gently. He used to only serve tea to guests, but after trying Hogwarts' pumpkin juice, he now had an extra beverage option.
Hermione sat down somewhat hesitantly and whispered, "Tea is fine."
In less than a second, a teapot and cup clattered over to her, pouring a steaming cup of English breakfast tea. There was sugar and milk on the side.
Seeing that Hermione had no intention of drinking, the cup anxiously spun around in front of her, almost spilling the tea. Hermione belatedly picked it up.
The professor was drinking pumpkin juice! This contrast surprised her; she had thought someone as elegant as the professor would be sipping tea with grace. But it also made her realize that the professor had only recently graduated and was only seven years older than her. This discovery relaxed her entirely.
As if sensing the girl's surprise, Fawley smiled and said, "I only discovered this delicious beverage after coming to Hogwarts, unexpectedly finding it to my taste. I hope you won't look down on me because of this."
"Why would I?" Hermione eagerly looked up. "On the contrary, I think you seem... kinder now."
Fawley's smile faltered. Was he at an age where he could be described as kind? But this momentary strangeness was quickly masked, and his smile returned.
"I'm glad to make you feel comfortable. So, can you tell me why you're wandering the castle at this hour?"
Hermione found it strange that Fawley emphasized the word "comfortable," but she quickly brushed it off.
"The professor asked us to practice that technique more. I just wanted to find a place to practice."